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Allergic Living – Winter issue

In its coming Winter issue, Allergic Living magazine will feature an inspiring sun-destination guide: “Have Kitchen Will Travel,” written by Scott McKenzie. Ottawa-based Scott and his wife are veteran travelers and the parents of two girls, one with allergies to peanuts, dairy, nuts, eggs and kiwi.

Rather than let food allergies stifle their globe-trotting, the family has devised a system to stay safe. In an article jammed with helpful ideas, Scott shares the secrets of traveling success.

Also in Allergic Living’s Winter ’07-’08 issue:
1. The Air Inside: A special report on the state of indoor air quality. Features include:
- An investigation of how bad indoor air quality has become, the worst indoor pollutants, and what you can do to clear the air.
- The Healthy Home: Formaldehyde’s is given off by everything from furniture to carpet to draperies, and can cause respiratory distress. How to reduce it's noxious fumes in your home.
- Pet Allergies: what makes cat/dog proteins so problematic, how to handle these allergies.

2. Seafood allergy’s mysterious rise in adults.

3. Allergy News – Inside Britain’s LEAP study to see if early peanut exposure in kids will prevent allergy; allergy and breastfeeding findings; B.C.’s new anaphylaxis rules for schools.

To receive the Winter issue as part of an Allergic Living subscription, sign up until October 31. The magazine reminds current subscribers who received a renewal notice of that cutoff date. Simply go to www.allergicliving.com and click the “Subscribe/Renew” tab on the homepage.

Sounds good! The indoor allergens should be interesting. I just had an experience where my asthma started really acting up at home and I had no idea why. I cleaned what I thought was everything, washed sheets etc. and three days later, found out I have to move next month (it;s okay, it is to a much better apartment). I did a thorough cleanout of the kitchen and knocked the dish strainer off the counter by accident. The bottom was black! I guess I had never considered it because it is kind of a stationary object, so I did not think to clean underneath it. I cleaned it (with gloves on) and cleared out the dirty rags. I was breathing better within minutes! Kind of gross to think I was exposed to mold for who knows how long it was there, but it's fine now, and I guess I learned my lesson about always cleaning even in hard to reach places or places you wouldn't think about.

Can I make a suggestion for a future issue? I would love to see a really in-depth feature on the growing problem of adult-onset allergies. I suffered with eczema and asthma as a kid, but had no known food issues, until my late 20's when they suddenly developed. In addition to the practical adjustments (e.g. not being able to eat prepared foods anymore due to corn content) there were some mental/psychological adjustments as well. I really think there is a different dimension to food allergies when you get them later---you do know what you are missing. It is not a fact of life to you. And it's scary when you think that what is safe today might not be safe tomorrow. As a young professional just starting out in my career, there were financial implications, too, that a child wouldn't think about. For example, an epi-pen was completely out of my price range ($120!) and I had to go to my mother and ask her to buy it for me, which was a little humiliating And I routinely skip the maintenance asthma puffer when I an working a contract job that does not have a health plan with prescription coverage...

MedicAlert has a "No child without program" for MedicAlert bracelettes...maybe we can find a sponser for a "No person without program" for Epi-Pens or asthma medication?
It makes me sad to think that in Canada with our health care system (with which we feel smuggly superior to the USA), we have people going about without life-saving medicine.

There was a study that showed how expensive asthma was in terms of hospital time and missed work it's a huge cost. I will try to find that study.

My mother, who was recently diagnosed with asthma at 60 and has now become the asthma expert, was actually quite horrified when she found that out But I think she does not understand how hard it is for a grown adult to go asking their parents for a handout. I try really hard to take care of myself, but in the job market now, it can take a few years to get onself established. I have had a rough couple of years with contract work, but I have a year-long contract now that will lead to better things, and I'll be okay. It was rough for awhile, though. I had done everything I could, and just had to be patient. It was that stage of life, I guess, and bad luck for me that my health issues started up then...

Yes, agree there are quite a few "adult" issues to deal with. We're doing seafood allergies (the biggie for adults), but will look at other pyschological issues of coping in future issues.

One of the problems, though, is that there is little research into adult onset so far. Focus has been on early sensitization - obviously important given the sudden increase in kids.

Costs - don't get me started; I'm one of those people without a drug plan. But if you're in the same boat and have asthma, too, yikes. Might be worth investigating the cost of an individual private plan.

Gwen, someone on this board told me about a government program that pays part of the cost (you have to pay for $500 worth first, which is still out of reach for some people, and you can only apply within a certain window of the year, and there are some other restrictions too). I was surprised my doctor never mentioned it to me. Actually, there were a lot of things he didn't mention There was the two years of 'it's only eczema' when I knew it wasn't, for example, and a friend of mine who is a nurse was quite shocked when she found out he diagnosed me with a tree nut allergy and then never warned me about cross-reacting to tree fruits. Anecdotally, I also wonder about compliance among adults. I had at least one instance where I should have used the epi-pen and decided to try the cheaper Benadryl first just to see if it would work (it did, but I was told after the fact that this is dangerous and if I feel like I need the epi-pen, I probably do). I also have a sister-in-law who is anaphylactic to sulphites, does not carry an epi-pen, does not carry Benadryl and just chances that she'll be fine---and she is a doctor, from a large family full of doctors, who should all know better I guess when it is not drilled into your head when you're five that this is serious, maybe you just figure you have been fine until now, so how bad can it be, and it takes a serious episode to wake you up? I don't know...

New applicants to the TDP can choose the date within the program year on which they wish to be enrolled in the program. The deductible will be prorated, that is, the deductible will be based on the number of days left in the program year. Please note that proration of the deductible will apply only for the first year that a household/member is enrolled in the program.

I'm particulary interested in an article in the winter issue on inside air pollution. We have 4 asthmatic/allergic kids, and myself included, so its nothing new to me that inside environments can cause some of the problems. The paragraph at the bottom of p 28 that starts, "Action..." is so very true. Government should be more up front about the dangers lurking in household cleaners, room deodorizers, personal care products etc and unfortunately "people are still blistfully unaware that the air in their homes can pose a threat to their health"....well said!!!! My company, Melaleuca, has been saying this for the past 20 years in Canada. Green is the only way to go to ensure you're getting rid of all possible triggers within your home. If you spray it, you're gonna breathe it! If you apply it on your skin or wash your clothes in it, you're gonna absorb it...simple as that! Be healtheir...go green!!!
If you want to know how...pm me and I'll tell you.

I got the issue this week (I get my mail at my mom's so I don't always get everything right away). I really enjoyed it! It is one of the few magazines I read cover to cover. I just feel like I really need to monitor news and developments myself because I don't feel my doctor has very good expertise or information in this area. Gwen, there is an idea for a future issue, how to talk with your doctor/choose a doctor etc. Members of my family go to the same doctor and really like him, but I will never forget the TWO YEARS of misery I went through where he kept insisting it was 'just eczema' and I knew it was not, and could not get anyone to listen.

One thing I also wanted to add while we are talking about subscriptions, I don't know if you still do this or not but when I subscribed I got a discount for being a medic-alert member. So, if this is still the case, subscribing really is MUCH cheaper! Also, I think this was my third issue. I assume I will get some sort of notice when my subscription is due to run out, along with an option to renew?

I was happy to see the focus on the indoor environment. It is an issue about which I'd love to see more general awareness! I react to new paint, new carpets, cleaning chemicals, perfumes, etc.

(By the way, I also am a fan of Sarah Elton's regular column.)

ficbot---the way I look at it, since I have a good allergist, I don't need my family doctor to know all that much about allergies. What I've found has really helped me is to have a note signed by my allergist listing the allergens (food and otherwise) I've tested allergic to. With the note in hand, doctors take me seriously. Same with celiac. If I have my test results with me + the medical note from my GI doc, doctors take it seriously.

(I typed up the note about my allergies in advance of the appointment as an example . . . I didn't expect my allergist to use that exact letter, but he was happy to save himself and his office staff some time, and signed and stamped it then and there. But I have a nice allergist.)

But I suspect that doctors who have graduated from medical school more recently are more likely to know about things like allergies and celiac. My new family doctor seems allergy-aware.

About allergic living subscriptions---I get an email alerting me to when I need to renew.

Gwen,
I really enjoyed the story re:adult onset shellfish. I developed a shellfish allergy in my mid 20's but never took it too seriously until my children were dx. with multiple food allergies. Never will I go anywhere with my kids without their epi yet it has not been uncommon for me to go out without mine. Your article was a real wake up for me.
Last year I suggested a story featuring sleep and kids with allergies/asthma. Have you considered this? My son is followed in Edmonton by a pediatric pulmonologist/sleep specialist. She is an amazing woman who has a lot of insight that I think would be helpful to many of your readers.

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